Cerro de Punta

Cerro de Punta rises to one thousand three hundred and thirty-eight metres in the Cordillera Central, the highest point on the island, and it sits in a band of dwarf and cloud forest that feels nothing like the coast an hour away: cool, wet, hung with bromeliads and mosses, with sierra palms and stunted trees shaped by the wind. On a clear early morning both the Atlantic and the Caribbean are visible from the summit at the same time, which is the reason to make the effort at dawn rather than later. A very steep paved service road climbs the last stretch to the antennas on top, walkable in about half an hour, and the Ruta Panorámica passes the turning.

What you actually see

• The summit view - both coasts at once on a clear early morning.
• Cloud forest - bromeliads, mosses and sierra palms near the top.
• The Toro Negro forest - trails and waterfalls on the same ridge.
• The Ruta Panorámica - the mountain road that reaches the turning.

When to go

December to April is the driest and clearest, and early morning is essential since cloud usually covers the summit from mid-morning onward. It is cold and windy up here by island standards, so bring a layer.

Honest expectations

The final access road is extremely steep and narrow with a poor surface, and most drivers are better off parking at the bottom and walking. Cloud wins more often than not, so a clear view is luck. The summit itself is occupied by communication towers, which is not what the photographs suggest.

Nearby

Toro Negro forest surrounds it; Jayuya and the Taíno petroglyph sites are below.